Doll Heads

How to Repair an American Girl Doll Heads

You gave your daughter an American Girl doll and it was love at first sight. The two are now inseparable. Whether it's a tea party or a jump on the trampoline, the doll is always in your child's arms. Now your daughter is in tears because her favorite toy needs repair. The good news is that you can fix minor problems yourself. (Major issues like a detached limb are best left to the manufacturer's doll hospital.) Here are some easy ways to fix your American Girl doll at home.

American Girl doll heads are held in place by strings tied at the base of the neck. Over time, the doll's head can be loosened by regular play. The head can even fall off with rough play. However both problems are easily remedied.Locate the knotted strings at the back of the doll's head where the neck and cloth body meet. Untie the knot. Check the strings for signs of damage, especially if the doll's head has fallen off. If the strings are damaged, you will need to send the doll to the manufacturer's hospital for string replacement. If the strings are fine, proceed to the next step.

If you are tightening a loose head, remove the head. Put it aside.Gently widen the neck hole on the cloth body. Make certain not to stretch the hole too far, so that the strings retract. Than Reach into the hole and carefully push the stuffing down.

Place the head into the hole. Gently press the head down firmly until the neck fits the hole and rests at base of the neck.

Tie the strings in two knots at the back of the neck. The doll's head should feel secure but still be able to turn. (http://www.ehow.com/how_2325684_repair-american-girl-doll.html)

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Fisher Price Doll

Fisher Price Doll House

Fisher Price is one of the most popular toy brands in the United States, and the house for dolls is a classic childhood favorite, so a Fisher Price dolls house is a great combination. These play houses inspire hours of creative, imaginative play, and acting out the routines of home can be a comforting form of play for a child. He or she learns concepts like sharing and social interaction, and can create situations and play them out time and time again.

So many of today's toys come with defined purposes, and television presents someone else's imagination. Lessons and team sports are great, but kids also need time to just play with no particular goal in mind. The creativity exercised in imaginative role play is actually a skill that will be used all their lives in finding solutions to problems, and seeing situations in their mind from start to finish.




Fisher price doll in particular are well suited to this kind of open-ended play. Children have miniatures of the objects they see and use every day, but they have the freedom to do with them what they want. For example, if they want to put the doll house potty in the kitchen, that's fine. Kids are also great at coming up with stories to go along with their doll house scenarios.

Fisher Price offers several designs of doll houses, from the Loving Family Classic Doll House, which retails for around $50, to the Loving Family Twin Time Doll House, which sells for around $60, to the Loving Family Sweet Sounds Doll House, which is more of a town house design and costs $70 or so. Fisher Price toys are made to handle a lot of wear and tear, so children will get years of use out of them. Families with multiple children can use these doll houses for younger children when older children outgrow them. A Fisher Price doll house is an investment in childhood that pays off in many ways.(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Mitchell_Ashton)

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Plush Doll

How to Store and Display Plush Doll

If you have kids, you have a ton of stuffed animals-I can guarantee it! And sometimes, that mound of stuffed toys can become overwhelming, especially when you're trying to keep your house tidy and save some space. Before your child's plush toys take over the second floor of your home, here are a few tips on displaying and storing these toys that would otherwise stay piled in a corner of the playroom.

One way to wrangle up a small number of plush toys is by using a stuffed toy hammock. As long as it is within reach of the children, you won't have to fetch a new one every five minutes when they decide they want a different stuffed animal after all. If you're dealing with a small number of plush toys, you could also display them on bookshelves and cubbies around their room or playroom, and then that way they also act as decoration as well. Another option is using a toy chest to store them when not in use, but this generally means that a child will have to dig all the way to the bottom to get the one they want-which can mean a mess of toys on the floor around the storage chest.




Small plush doll, like beanie babies, can always be put in a laundry bag and hung on a hook or on the back of a closet door. You can also store these in decorative baskets, display them on shelves and cubbies, or you can even store them in a shoe organizer on the back of the child's door-these are the perfect size for each shoe space.

Another option to wrangle up stuffed animals from your child's room is by using a plush doll chain that hangs from the ceiling and clipping the plush toys on, or you can also get a stand-up pole called a toy tree to hook the stuffed toys on. This is a great way to not only keep the mess at bay, but to also display them in a way that takes up a lot less room than a toy chest or toy hammock.

If you're looking to store a lot of smaller toys into one spot, a great way to do this is to place these toys into under the bed plastic storage containers. You can put the plush dolls in the container, pop the lid on, and slide it under the children's beds. This way, they are out of site but still easily accessible, even for the youngest kid in the household. Simply slide the container out from underneath the bed and you have all their stuffed animals within reach.

So stop letting that pile of stuffed animals intimidate you. With a little creativity and storage solutions, they will stop invading your home and will gradually come to love their new home on the chain or toy tree-whether the kids want them there or not!(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_E_Bishop)

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Doll Molds

Guide Review - Review of Press Doll Molds for Polymer Clay Dolls by Patricia Rose Studio

Press molds are a simple way to begin making polymer clay dolls. Unfortunately, molds for porcelain dolls cannot be used as porcelain and other clays shrink when they are kiln fired.




Patricia Rose Studio produce a range of press molds for full dolls and various doll parts made from polymer clay. The doll molds range in size, several are suitable for 1:12 scale miniatures. The dolls all have an light, elegant style, and the molds are designed to be used by beginners.

To accompany the press molds there are also a range of instructional CD's at various levels to help you learn the craft of doll making. Sample pages from the instructional CD's are available on the web site so that you can decide if this form of instruction is for you.

I purchased the Tinkerbelle fairy mold after deciding this would be a good basic mold to work with for a young teenage girl. Teenagers are often hard to find in 1:12 scale. The proportions on the figure are excellent, and despite being listed as a fairy figure, the mold has no features which would cause you to think fairy rather than person when you see it. The mold comes with a sample armature, to enable you to produce extra armature for the dolls you produce. Dolls made in press molds are usually made with softer versions of polymer clay. Patricia Rose recommends ProSculpt for these molds. Wire armatures make the dolls easier to handle as you finish them and also give some strength to smaller parts as you pose the dolls.

The fingers and feet are molded, but fingers are not separated or fully finished so you will need to do some work or these sections of the figure after you remove it from the mold. For anyone who is worried about achieving the correct proportions for hands, arms, legs, feet, torsos or heads, these molds are a way to work on your doll skills while you develop an eye for correct proportions.(http://miniatures.about.com/od/dollshousedolls/gr/patrosepressrev.htm)

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My Buddy Doll

Kid Sister and My Buddy Dolls

What started out to be a story on all dolls, turned out to be one on this duo, instead. I remember when My Buddy and Kid Sister first came out. The theme song still plays loud in my mind, like it was yesterday. Oddly
enough, I never owned them but I wanted to. My Dad probably thought they were ugly, like he thought the Cabbage Patch dolls were.



Hasbro, the original manufacturer for the My Buddy doll, initiated this duo back in 1985. Later they made the Kid Sister doll. In the 1990's, Playskool took over. The My Buddy doll was made for mentally challenged children.

Before the change in it's looks when Playskool took over in the 1990's, My Buddy had his own unique characteristics. He had the My Buddy logo on his blue overalls. Then there was red baseball cap over his brown hair. Don't forget about his cute little button nose and his freckles. He wore a red/white/yellow and blue striped shirt and all but his head was stuffed material. Kid Sister had a pink overall set with blond shoulder length hair.

They both shared all the other qualities. There were even an African American set. The original look soon became a look of the past when Playskool changed them in the 1990's.

In the 1990's when he and Kid Sister were modified, Playskool made them with the clothes sewn onto the bodies. Many were not to happy with the modifications. Playskool was trying to keep down the extra cost of buying clothes.

Many people thought that the My Buddy doll inspired Chucky on Child's Play since they resembled one another so much. Actually, according to Tom Holland (writer and director), the movie was inspired by the Cabbage Patch dolls. Apparently, he was tired of seeing them on commercials.(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/513249/kid_sister_and_my_buddy_dolls.html)

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German Dolls

Antique German Dolls - 4 of The Best

Collecting antique German dolls is a very popular pastime and many of the best quality dolls come from Germany. You will need to read up on each manufacturer to decided what you want to buy and how much you spend. Luckily there are many dolls to choose from you should be able to find something to suit your budget and is especially easy now thanks to internet auctions.




Kewpies - These German dolls have been produced since 1912 and are based on illustrations by Rose O'Neil. The sizes vary enormously from 1" to 3 feet. In the early days Kewpie dolls were made of bisque but are now made from vinyl. There are number of companies producing Kewpie dolls however the largest is Charisma Company, owned by Marie Osmond

Armand Marseille - These dolls were produced from approximately 1885 until 1930. In general, the head is made of bisque which is attached to a stuffed body. When looking for a makers mark, you will find it very clearly on the back of the head. You will see a number (eg 370 or 390) which indicates the model number.

Kestner - Kestner dolls were made in Germany between 1805 and 1925. They originally manufactures toys but then moved into making dolls. When buying Kestner dolls you will have to look out for model numbers as they typically don't have names.

Kathe Kruse - Kathe Kruse has been manufacturing dolls for over 90 years and continue to do so today. The modern dolls they make are handmade and not mass-produced. An amazing amount of work is put into each doll and items of clothing and feature hand embroidery, knitting or crochet. Even the human hair is hand knotted into the doll's wig cap! Therefore, even if you purchase a brand new Kathe Kruse doll, you so should consider them antiques of the future.

If you are plant to spend a lot of money (many dolls can sell for hundreds or even thousands of ££s) it would be a wise idea to buy books or subscribe to magazines on the subject. There are many available due to the fact that doll collecting is so popular.(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Kerr)

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Collectible Doll

Collectible Doll are the Passion of Many and Some Great Deals Can Be Found Online

Almost every little girl loves dolls, but many of us carry the love of dolls into adulthood. Collectible dolls are for those of us that still love dolls, despite our age. Dolls come in all shapes and sizes, and a good many of them aren't for little girls. In fact, some of the most collectible dolls are not made for children at all. Every little detail makes the doll special, and one of a kind. If you have depleted your local source of collectible doll, you can turn to the Internet and find some fabulous limited edition, one of a kind, and simply beautiful dolls.

Porcelain Dolls

Porcelain dolls are one of the most widely collected dolls. The reason for this is that real human characteristics can be replicated with porcelain so that the dolls are very beautiful. If you have a great collection of porcelain dolls and you can't seem to find anything that will compliment your current collection, you should get online. So many online retailers and collectible doll dealers have some great items that are only available online. Many of the retailers online have one of a kind items or dolls that are completely different than the dolls that you currently have because they have resources that your local dealers do not have. Whether you are simply waiting for the collectible porcelain dolls that speak to you, or you want something that will take your collection in a new direction, the Internet is the place to be.

Baby Dolls

Baby dolls are a great collectible as well. Baby dolls come in a variety of materials and have been popular among little girls and collectors since the beginning of time. If you are looking for some new baby dolls to add to your collection, you should turn to the Internet for some great options. The Internet can also be an affordable way to start a collection of baby dolls for your daughter, granddaughter, or someone that you care about. Many baby doll dealers can offer you a wide selection of baby dolls so that you can purchase one that is perfect for you or the new collector in your life. The Internet can hook you up with all of the great baby dolls and artist dolls that you can imagine, and you'll find that there is a lot more selection online than you'll ever find locally.

Collectible Bears, Oh My!

Collectible bears are simply and extension of collectible dolls. The teddy bear is as historic as the baby doll, and that is why many of us begin to collect bears as well as dolls. There are collectible bears that come onto the market all the time; the hard part is getting your hands on them. When you get online you can find some great bears that you cannot find anywhere else. Many websites offer email updates and close up photographs of the collectible bears so that you can buy some great bears to add to your collection.

Collectible bears and collectible porcelain dolls are both things that many of us feel passionate about. One of the things that every doll and bear collector has in common is the constant search for their new addition to their collection.


Many of us go months or even years without adding a new doll or bear to our collection, because we can't find anything that speaks to us. When you get online, you have instant access to collectible doll from all over the world that are limited in number and can make a great addition to your collection. When you get online you have great access, as well as access to some great prices.(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson)

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